Onix's self-destruction was something none of the three people present had expected.
Ash had originally watched Onix use Rock Slide and was wondering if Onix had temporarily broken free or even completely broken free from its confusion, and he was still thinking about how to dodge the Rock Slide.
Under the Aura Fusion state, Pikachu could not only use Wave Bomb but also have a significant increase in its stats, so even if it only discovered the Rock Slide after the smoke had just cleared, Pikachu still had a very high chance of dodging it.
But what Ash, including Brock and Xiao Xia, hadn't expected was that Onix did use Rock Slide, but it hit itself...
This Rock Slide directly became the last straw that broke Onix's back. Under the self-inflicted attack of Rock Slide, Onix lost its last bit of stamina and collapsed.
Ash and Pikachu, who had been tense, both started twitching their faces. This victory came a bit too inexplicably.
"This... I guess I won, right?" Ash said, pointing at the fallen Onix.
Brock was silent for a moment, recalled Onix, and then nodded to Ash: "Yes, Onix has lost its ability to battle. This Gym battle is your victory."
"Congratulations, Ash, this is the Pewter Gym's Boulder Badge, take it." Brock said as he walked over to Ash.
As the battle ended, the sandstorm on the field also stopped, so Brock walked directly through the middle of the field.
After he came to Ash, he took out a Boulder Badge that looked like it was made of special metal from his pocket and handed it to Ash.
Ash took the badge, a flicker of excitement in his eyes: "This is a Gym Badge... I got my first Gym Badge, that's great, Pikachu!"
"Pika Pikachu~~" Pikachu also congratulated Ash with a beaming smile.
"But I didn't expect that after cracking Sleep Powder, you would still know to use confusion to interfere. As a Rookie Trainer, this kind of tactical application is indeed very strong, but to be honest... this set of tactics is still a bit too disgusting." Brock showed a wry smile on his face, while praising Ash, he also expressed his disgust for Ash's tactics.
Most people would probably be disgusted by such a battle. Although being able to inflict status conditions is a type of battle tactic, most battles are fought with real blades for a few rounds before tactics are deployed.
First, they compete in strength, and then they compete in the Trainer's strategy. It can be said that the basic operation is like this.
However, Ash... started with Sleep Powder, and after Sleep Powder was cracked, it was Supersonic. What kind of disgusting battle style is this!
It doesn't look like something a Rookie Trainer would use at all. Aren't Rookie Trainers supposed to just go all out?
It's already very good if they understand type advantages. As for using status conditions, buffs, rotations, weather, and other strategies, those are the methods of experienced Trainers. Even most Gym Leaders don't use them well, but Ash uses them quite skillfully.
Could it be that there's a master guiding him behind the scenes?
Brock silently looked at Xiao Xia not far away. If he remembered correctly, this girl seemed to be from the Hua Lan Gym...
"I also think this tactic is a bit annoying, haha~ But there's no way around it. Who told you, Brock, that your Pokémon basically completely counter mine? If I wanted to defeat you with the few Pokémon I have, I could only use this method." Ash scratched his head and laughed after putting the Boulder Badge into his jacket.
"Anyway, congratulations to you. You got a Gym Badge in less than ten days after becoming a Trainer. For a Rookie Trainer, this achievement can definitely be considered outstanding, even top-tier. I feel like I'm seeing a top Trainer rising." Brock praised.
These words made Ash's nostrils almost point to the sky. Being praised like this by a Gym Leader was indeed something to be proud of.
At this time, Xiao Xia stood behind Ash, poking his back impatiently and saying, "Alright, alright, don't be so smug. And you, Brock, stop praising him. If you praise him anymore, his nose will be pointing at the sky."
"Heh heh, what does it matter? I haven't met a rookie of this level in a long time. The last rookie I battled, Gary, was indeed strong, but he mostly defeated me by utilizing type advantages. To be honest, in terms of both tactics and Pokémon level, Ash is slightly better than him."
Brock recalled the battle with the last rookie and once again subtly praised Ash.
This praise made Ash even more excited and happy than the direct praise before.
Gary was like a rival to him. Before he started his journey, he was always overshadowed by that guy. Now, although his travel speed is still a bit slower than his, he seems to have a slight edge in Pokémon training!
Next time they meet, he must battle Gary and defeat him thoroughly, to make him understand who is the real Pallet Town NO.1!
"Hey, hey, Ash, don't get too carried away." Xiao Xia said, looking at Ash's happy expression, reminding him.
Ash was good in every way, except that he would occasionally get smug, but his smugness would disappear without a trace after one night. It was unclear if it truly vanished or was just hidden deep in his heart.
"Don't worry, I won't be smug for too long. This is just the starting line. I want to stand on the final stage one step ahead of Gary!" Ash's smug expression slightly receded, and his words carried a certain longing and yearning.
If we're talking about the Trainer's final stage, that would naturally be the Pokémon League's Eight Masters Tournament! That's the stage all Trainers dream of standing on!
Defeating the Pewter Gym now is just the starting point of the journey. Besides, every night when he enters the chat group to learn knowledge, he gets beaten black and blue by the big shots in the group. So what if he's smug for a bit now?
"The final stage... Is it the Indigo Plateau Conference finals?" Brock asked curiously.
"No, it's the Eight Masters Tournament, but I'm still very far from that tournament right now." Ash said with a smile, his hands clasped behind his head.
"The Eight Masters, what a grand ideal. Oh, by the way, take this, Ash." Brock took out a notebook from the inner lining of his jacket and handed it to Ash.
Ash subconsciously took it and opened it, asking, "What is this... Hmm? Pokémon food recipes? So many recipes!"
Hearing this, Xiao Xia also leaned on Ash's shoulder in surprise, her small head peeking over his shoulder to look at the notebook in Ash's hand.
It indeed contained various Pokémon food recipes, and they didn't look like the common recipes circulating on the market.
Above each recipe, the effects of various dishes were also written. Some could increase stats with long-term consumption, some could increase a Pokémon's growth speed, and others could make a Pokémon recover faster after training.
If these recipes were real, then this small notebook would be worth a fortune!